So often, people ask me what foods are best for a given goal (fat loss or muscle gain). Since so many people ask, I felt it would help if I put together a post on foods that actually support a healthy, fit lifestyle. I may include a bit of sarcasm and perhaps even humor as I try to make this blog a bit more like me anyway. So here goes.
There is no secret to eating well. Here’s the bottom line….the closer the food is to nature, the better. In other words, if it’s processed, it’s likely crap. What’s a processed food? Well, if it comes in a bag, box, is frozen, canned, bottled, pickled, packed or otherwise requires people to alter it between the place it originates and the grocery store, it’s processed.
Snickers are processed. So are potato chips – even the healthy ones, meats, breads, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, ice cream and just about anything else found in any typical American grocery store. In fact, if you look closely at most foods, they are now genetically modified. This means, even if the apple you pick up is fresh, it’s been genetically changed to exhibit certain characteristics.
To make matters worse, years ago, foods were rich with vitamins and minerals. Today, thanks to over-farming and industrialization of the farm industry, the foods we consume lack vitamins and minerals that were once abundant. For example, a conventional tomato (one that is grown using pesticides, genetic modification and other synthetic processes) contains 50% less vitamin C than tomatoes of 50 years ago.
As a result, we are getting less vitamins and minerals, leaving our bodies in a stressed out, depleted state. This causes us to crave more foods with additional empty calories. The added empty calories only add to increasing pounds and expanding waist lines.
The solutions are simple, requiring only small lifestyle changes. Try your local farmers market for local fruits and vegetables. Talk to the people who sell the products to determine if they are organic or not. Invest in a quality multi-vitamin from Rainbow Lite, Apex or Publix. USANA is a multi-level marketing company that sells high quality vitamins (if you don’t mind the business aspect).
Stop by your local health food stores and talk to the people who work there about getting better quality foods. You can learn a lot from the people who deal with the foods every day and they can steer you in the right direction.
In terms of what I drink, I drink water. Sometimes, I drink coffee, but I prefer tea. I drink organic teas sweetened with agave nectar. Organic agave beats other sweeteners. For more info on sweeteners, try this.
They key to losing body fat is eating small, frequent meals. Every 2-3 hours, you should be providing your body with quality, small portions of a carb, fat and protein. Below is a list of snacks I enjoy. I’ll provide more info on meal planning and a shopping list in the next post.
Apples and Pears – So many varieties! Easy to carry and eat on the road.
Bananas – If you can get them speckled, they help alkalize your body too!
Berries – Loaded with anti-oxidants, berries of all sorts are great.
Oranges – Easy to keep and the skin acts as their own container.
Dried Fruit - Find quality dried fruits at farmers markets and health food stores. Avoid the heavily processed, chemical rich
Granola - Bear Naked Granola is simply awesome. Easy to carry and re-seal too. Don’t worry about the fats found here, they’re all good for you!
Raw Almonds – Make sure you get raw and unsalted.
Hummus and Crackers – Hummus is easy to make and loaded with protein. Search online for recipes you might enjoy.
Almond Butter on Celery – Takes some minor preparation.
Raw Cashews – Lots of great nutrition in cashews with many benefits.
Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds: Great for being light, easy to pack and no mess.
Air Popped Popcorn – No fat, lots of fiber make this a great option. No butter!
Odwalla Bars – An excellent choice, Odwalla is a leader in fast, quality nutrition.
Lara Bars – Very few ingredients and lots of flavor options. My favorite!
Luna / Cliff Bars – These two brands are related and use soy based protein.
Carrots (raw) – Carry some organic baby carrots for a quick vitamin-rich snack.
Seitan – You can find seitan in health food stores for a great shot of protein.
Raisins – Go for organic because grapes are often loaded with pesticides.
Visit Your Local Health Food Store – Try a few snacks from your local health food store. Find what works for you that can be easily packed for a great snack. Work towards only foods with all natural ingredients and avoid anything that has artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors!
